


Songbirds & Legacies

by StellaLuna34



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adventure, Beacon Academy, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family History, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Gen, Haven Academy, I'm not sure what else to tag but I'll add it if needed, Mistral (RWBY), Silver Eyes, Travel, Vale (RWBY), Volumes 1-5?? Maybe?, atlas RWBY, silver eyed warrior - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-07-02 00:58:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15785703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellaLuna34/pseuds/StellaLuna34
Summary: In the well known Haven Academy, a student by the name of Vireo Nightingale wants nothing more than to become a Huntsmen. However, his family disagrees and wants him to work in the family weapon company. This dispute magnifies during Vireo's second year, and in a last attempt to show his opinion on the situation, he sneaks away from Mistral and attends the Vytal Festival. During his stay, he begins to notice incongruences with his family bloodline,and things don't quite add up as they used to once he meets a silver-eyed girl and her family. Unfortunately, things only take a turn for the worse when Beacon falls.





	1. Prologue

"So recently, some of my contacts have been concerned with a familiar looking silver-eyed boy." A snarky voice commented. "Is he going to be a threat?"

"No, no!" A shaky voice replied. "He won't be a problem at all. He has no idea of his capabilities."

A man with an impressive handlebar mustache glared at the older man across the wooden office.

"Besides, he doesn't even know about his true heritage." The older man stammered as he fiddled with his grey beard.

"Good. Let's keep it that way." The middle aged man replied as he glared at the picture on his scroll.

"But-" The elder interrupted, his voice wobbling. "If he's anything like _them_ , he might get involved."

There was a deafening moment of silence before either one of them spoke.

"If we have to deal with another one of those _warriors_ again, She will not be pleased." The other man spat. The greying faunus begin to mess with the chipping wood from his mahogany desk as he frowned.

"I know."

More silence rang in the room as the other man continued to scowl at the digital picture. 

"Ugh. He looks exactly like his father. It's a shame the only thing he got from his mother was her eyes." He remarked. 

"Let's hope he doesn't have her spirit too."

 


	2. An Unlucky Birthday

In a castle-like mansion deep within Mistral, a young man with neatly combed jet-black hair and fair skin wandered through the long, empty hallway. His silver eyes scanned the dark orange walls, as if the pictures hanging on the wall would give him some sort of clue as to where his family and the servants were. As he passed by the hallway's main round table, he noticed a note stuck to one of the flower cases. The note read: "Please come to the main dining room. We need to talk." and was signed by his Dad's signature.  The teen sighed.

_"Really Dad? Out of all the days in the year, we have to discuss this now?"_

Despite his wanting to not go, he let out a small sigh, straightened his back, and began heading to his destination. As he approached the massive dark wooden doors, he concealed any sign of sadness or distress. 

_"Don't be rude."_ He scolded himself. " _You know this is for the best, for you and the family._ "

With a deep breath, the young teen pushed open the massive doors. As he opened them, he raised a curious eyebrow at the sight of the empty, dark room. Before he could question if he went to the right dining area, he heard something slightly shuffle in the room. His broad shoulders tensed as he scanned his surroundings for a make-shift weapon. As he began to reach for a nearby vase, the lights flicked on to reveal a small group crouching behind the large wooden diner table. 

"Surprise!" They shouted with bright smiles on their faces. The tension held within the young man was released at the sight of the familiar faces. A young lady, who appeared to be in her early twenties, carried a medium sized vanilla cake towards the teen as he approached the group .

"Happy birthday little brother." She greeted with a fake smile, her emerald eyes glittering with sarcasm. Vireo tried not to frown. 

"Thank you Tesia." He replied, giving the women with the flame-colored hair a soft smile. "It's good to see you again." 

While she had a cheerful expression masked on her face, Vireo could tell she was in no mood for small chat, or any chatting really. Before the two could say anything more, an older women with a striking resemblance to Tesia approached Vireo and wrapped her arms around him. 

"Happy birthday Vireo!" She sang as she hugged him tightly. "I can't believe you're an adult now."

"I know! It seems like just yesterday you were barely learning to walk." A brown haired, bearded man chuckled as he hugged the teen as well. 

"I'm so glad you were able to come back home for the weekend. We rarely get to see you now." The middle aged women added. Just as Vireo began to speak, a young girl with familiar flame-colored hair began to run from the other side of the room to him. Vireo immediately stepped to the side of his parents and in an open area. He held his arms out wide and positioned himself in a sturdy position. It didn't take long for the young ten to run into Vireo's arms and tackle hug him. The tackle didn't phase Vireo as he spun his younger sister around.

"It's so good to see you!!" She giggled as Vireo set her back down. "I missed you so much. Oh, and happy birthday!" 

"It's good to see you to Passerine." Vireo replied with a genuine smile. "How have things been?"

"Oh come on! We can talk later. I've been wanting to eat that cake since yesterday! And we're keeping everyone waiting." Passerine interrupted as she began to tug at Vireo's dark green sleeve. As everyone began to sit around the dinning table, Vireo tried to contain a smile. His heart practically glowed seeing his family and the servants all sitting down, conversing, and sharing cake. The main dining room was only used when visitors were over, and it was practically decor. Normally, his family would eat in the smaller dining area. As Vireo chatted with Passerine about his training at Haven Academy, he noticed his elder sister fumbling with her half-eaten food.

"Is everything alright?" He questioned as he gestured to her food.

"Father still wants to talk to you." She sighed. The cheerful glitter in Vireo's eye began to fade as the words sunk in.

"I overheard him arguing with mother about it." She added, still twirling her fork. "And I'm pretty sure it's going to be today, based on how much mother raised her voice."

Vireo felt the urge to put his face in his hands, but fought it considering the whole table would notice his distress. As much as he resisted showing his dread, a small frown still sat on his lips. 

"Will you be joining us?" He asked, hope faintly ringing in his voice.

"I'm sorry brother. It looks like you're on your own." Tesia sighed as she shook her head. Her brow furrowed as anger and sorrow flickered across her face. 

"Thank you for warning me." Vireo added, giving her a sorrowful grin. Tessa gave a small nod as she passed her plate to him.

"I didn't want it to catch you completely by surprise."

"I think we've both been expecting this for a while."

      *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Vireo sighed as he sat patiently in his father's office. His eyes wandered to the various books and picture frames on the wooden bookshelves. There were numerous weapon and ammunition books organized neatly in alphabetical order. To the side of the books was a golden picture frame with a picture of him and his sisters. Their green and blue eyes gazed sweetly through the picture as their smiles glowed. As he studied the picture more, he noticed how dull he looked compared to his sisters. Their fire-colored hair stood out like neon lights compared to his dark, black hair. His bland silver eyes didn't help either. He often wondered where he got them from. Many villagers and classmates often remarked how unique and rare they were. 

The sound of the office's doorknob turning broke Vireo from his thoughts. As he turned around, he was greeted with a warm smile from his father. Vireo could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, but it could help so much.

"Relax Vireo. I'm not going to banish or throw you in prison." His father chuckled.

" _It certainly feels like it_." Vireo thought to himself.

"No worries father. I had a feeling this talk was coming sooner or later." The eighteen year old replied.

"Oh that's wonderful! Then you know what I'm going to say."

"I'm assuming you want me to take up the company." Vireo replied with a small sigh. There was a hint of sorrow in his tone, but his father was too excited to pick it up.

"Yes! You are now of age to start training for some of the duties I do."  His father chimed as he began to flip through the paperwork on his desk. "I know you'll do just fine. You've always had a liking for weapons, so weapon parts should not trouble you at all."

Vireo's silver eyes sunk down to his black shoes. His shoulders began to tense back up slightly and he could tell he was beginning to frown.

"When would you like me to start training?" He questioned.

"As soon as my schedule clears up." His father replied, never taking his eyes off his paperwork. "Oh, and you will need to drop Haven Academy at the end of this semester."

Vireo's heart sank to his stomach as he felt his face grow pale.

"I beg your pardon?" He managed to choke out.

"I'm pulling you out of Haven Academy." His father repeated.

"May I ask why?"

"Once you start training with the company, you will have to stay home. There will be no need for you to be living and training at a huntsmen school."

Vireo tried to from some sort of coherent sentence, but he was still trying to swallow the monster of a pill his father had given him. 

"Oh come now Vireo, you've had your fun. Being a huntsmen is not your calling. Besides, a huntsman's job is far to dangerous. With the company, I can guarantee your safety." His father commented.

"What if..." Vireo began. "What if being a huntsman is my calling?"

The bearded man furrowed his brows and frowned slightly.

"Vireo Nightingale, you will not continue your studies at Haven. End of discussion. " He replied sternly. "I've seen you fight, and even with the extra training you've gotten, you still fight like a novice."

If Vireo's heart could sink any lower, it did at that moment.

"Remember, I only let you have training for self defense purposes." His father added as he turned his chair towards his writing desk. Vireo stood up silently, never taking his eyes off the tile. 

"Yes sir." He replied weakly as he exited the office. 

As Vireo began to walk down the empty hallway towards his room. He noticed a figure standing by the window next to his room. She stood with her arms crossed as she gazed at the courtyard. Her peppered hair was braided back loosely and hung over a back sheath containing two large hook-swords. Compared to his attire, she looked as if she was ready for battle with her scattered armor and layered clothing. 

"So he actually went through with it." She commented as Vireo walked closer, never taking her sapphire eyes off the courtyard. 

"Unfortunately, yes." Vireo sighed as he stood by the tall elder. Despite him being fairly tall, she stood a couple of inches taller.

"Your mother certainly put up quite a fight with him the other day. I would have said something as well, but your father already knows my position on this."

"I was hoping he wouldn't bring it up today." Vireo mumbled.

"I know." She replied. There were a few moments of comforting silence before Vireo spoke up.

"Wait, weren't you supposed to be on a mission?" He questioned as he turned his head to look at her.

"And miss your birthday?" She laughed. "They would've had to drag me away for that to happen"

Vireo laughed softly as well.

"That would have been quite a show. Everyone knows you fight dirty." Vireo chuckled. The elder burst out into laughter and gave Vireo a big hug.

"It's so good to see you again Vireo." She sighed happily.

 

"You too Aunt Magpie." 


	3. Haven Academy

“He’s doing WHAT?” A blonde-haired fanus screamed. “There’s no way! Let me go talk to him, I’ll set him straight.”

“Sun please, lower your voice. You’re causing a scene.” Vireo hushed as he and the screaming teen walked down a paved path through Mistral’s marketplace.  Marketers eyed them as they passed their stands. Some stood by their brightly-colored products, as if they needed to guard it.

“NO! I have a right to cause a scene! This is crazy!” 

Vireo face-palmed himself as he walked up to a food stand. Sun still rambled on, but Vireo began to tune him out and started to order. The marketer glanced at the blonde with raised eyebrows. 

“Apologies for my friend. He gets quite loud and chatty when he is upset.” Vireo commented as he handed money to the marketer for the order. By then, Sun noticed Vireo had stopped paying attention and stopped rambling. He silently stood next to Vireo with fumes practically coming out of his ears as Vireo finished conversing. 

“Sorry dude. It just really irks me that he’s doing this AND called you a novice. He clearly hasn’t seen you fight.” 

“It’s alright. I appreciate your concern, but once my father has made up his mind, there’s no changing it.” Vireo stated as he took two wrapped packages from the marketer’s hand. 

“I just don’t understand. What’s so bad about being a huntsman?” Sun questioned.

“Well, it is a dangerous job- “

“Yeah, but not  _ training  _ to be one. Field Trips and training aren’t as dangerous.”

“I guess.” Vireo sighed as he shrugged. “He also wants me to focus on managing the company.”

“So? Your sister should be the one managing it. She is the oldest.” 

Vireo shrugged again as he handed the fanus one of the wrapped packages. 

“Thanks V, but you really didn’t have to.” Sun said in a softer tone. 

“It’s my pleasure.”

The two teens ate in silence as they continued to walk through the marketplace and to the grassy fields of Haven Academy. Although it was the tail end of summer, there was a cool breeze in the air. The nice weather brought everyone out of their dorms and to the open courtyards and fields. Some brought their textbooks to study while others had picnics and played games. As the two students approached the lively courtyard, both noticed a bright, blue haired teen.

“Hey Neptune! Over here!” Sun shouted as Vireo took a deep breath to shout as well. Neptune turned his head sharply and smiled.

“Hey guys! Come sit with us!” He shouted back. Vireo paused at the site of his classmates and Haven shining brightly in the background. There was something about the scene he was in that felt picturesque. In that moment, he admired the scenery of the school and all the people he knew in the warm glow of the sun. He felt so at ease and himself at Haven, and he wanted to push the thought of leaving as far as he could. Just as the blissful, perfect moment swiftly set in, it left in an instant. Before Sun could ask anything, Vireo quickened his pace.

*~*~*~*

“Hey V! You alright?”

Vireo looked up from his cafeteria dinner to see his bleach-blonde team member looking at him with confusion glittering in her turquoise eyes. 

“Yes. I’m alright.” He replied, trying to hide any sorrow from leaking in his voice. 

“We don’t buy that for a second.” A petite, light brown haired girl shot back. 

“Seriously, what’s up?” An auburn haired student chimed in. Vireo took a deep breath as he looked at his teammates. All three girls sat at the edge of their seats as the waited. The girls all knew things rarely affected Vireo to the point where his bright smile faltered, and it began to worry them greatly. He felt like a broken record as he retold his discussion with his father. Before any of them could say a word, the petite girl reached out and held the blonde girl’s shoulder.

“Olive, I swear to the gods, if you so much as break a plate-” The girl threatened.

“Quit it Lanea, I can handle my anger just fine.” The blonde snapped. 

“You sure are doing a swell job-”

“-And  _ you’re  _ certainly not helping!”

As the two began to bicker, the auburn haired girl moved to sit next to Vireo. 

“Why?” She questioned as she sat down to the chair beside him. “Why is he so obsessed with this company? It’s not technically yours.”

“I’ve tried reasoning with him, but he is determined to hand me the company.” Vireo mumbled. The girl scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

“I’m assuming he doesn’t think you’re skilled enough to be a huntsman?”

“Yup.”

“What’s it with confidence-crushing fathers? What do they expect out of it? Compliance?” She sighed as she shook her head and fiddled with her dark blue gloves. 

“What are you going to do?” Lanea questioned. While Vireo and Tillian conversed, Lanea and Olive had subsided their bickering to hear. 

“Do what he asks of me.” Vireo replied. “There’s nothing else I can really do.”

“Yes there is! You’re eighteen now, you can do anything.” Olive shot back. Vireo sighed as he put his head in his hands. 

“I can’t imagine going against my father’s wishes. I understand your concern, but he is older than us, so I have to respect he knows best for me.” He explained.

“What if he’s wrong?” Lanea questioned quietly, almost as if she were talking to herself. Vireo’s silver eyes dropped to his food tray. A small part of him hoped Lanea was right, but if his duties were set in stone, he knew he had to follow them. After a few minutes of sorrowful silence, Olive and Lanea dropped the topic and began to discuss fighting strategies. Tillian had even brought out her notes from class so they knew they’d have everything right. Vireo smiled at the switch in subjects and joined in on the discussion. 

*~*~*~*

“Good morning Professor Lionheart.” Vireo greeted as he stepped into the headmaster’s wooden office.

“Hello Vireo!” How are your classes going?” The elder fanus cheerfully greeted as he looked up from a book he was reading.

“They are going wonderfully. Thank you for asking.” Vireo replied as he walked up to the large mahogany desk. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes of course! I just needed to discuss an issue dealing with the upcoming Vytal festival.”

Vireo’s neutral expression fell, but casted over is face again. The headmaster fiddled with his grey beard as he continued.

“Now, I know your father has strict rules on you leaving Mistral, but I was hoping we could sort out an agreement. I would love to send one of my best teams to compete.”

“I’m afraid it would be a lost cause. Seeing how he didn’t agree the last couple of occasions, I don’t see how this will be any different.” Vireo argued.

“But this is the one and only Vytal festival! I can’t let you all sit it out again.” 

Vireo frowned slightly at the headmaster’s words. He couldn’t agree more, but he knew there was no convincing  _ the  _ Oriole Nightingale. All he needed was a slight second thought from his father, but he was a stubborn man.

“I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything.” Vireo replied, breaking the silence in the office. Lionheart gave him a warm smile.

“Thank you. Visit me as soon as you can get ahold of your father. I would like to discuss it with the both of you.” He added.

And with that, Vireo left the headmaster’s office and on towards his afternoon classes. As he walked through the sunlit hallways, he caught a glimpse of Mistral from one of the tall windows. To newcomers or visitors, the sight would have been breathtaking. The view of the school, the nearby marketplace, and the beautiful houses decorating the cliff sides were wonderful sights, but Vireo had seen them his whole life. He could never deny their beauty, but it was all he had ever known. The only way he could see anything outside of Mistral was through books and the news. He longed to see the deserts of Vacuo and the mountains of Vale. Not only did the new lands interest him, but meeting their people excited him too. That was a huge driving force in his wish to become a huntsman. To help people, to get to know them, to make sure they were alright; that was what he strived to do. Fighting and killing Grim were fun and all, but he believed huntsmen did more than that.

The school bell ringing snapped Vireo out of his thoughts. Not long after, the halls were filled with students rushing to get to their next class, and Vireo followed suit. As he was walking, he began to message someone on his scroll.

_ “Hey Aunt Magpie, when is your next mission? _ ” he typed. There was a pause before his scroll notified him that she was typing back.

_ “Not for a while sweetie. What’s wrong?” _ She wrote.

_ “Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to talk to you in person; if you aren’t busy.” _

_ “I’m on my way.” _

Vireo smiled as he read the last message Magpie wrote before turning his scroll off for class.

 


	4. Traveling

“I don’t believe it.” Neptune chuckled as he leaned against the cream-colored wall. “There’s no way you did. You’re just pranking us.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Vireo laughed as he began to undo the grey ribbons from his point shoes. 

“Who are you and what have you done with the real Vireo?” 

“Hey, why are you questioning it? It’s about time he did something rebellious!” Sun commented as he ran into the dance studio and tackled Vireo. Even though Vireo was sitting on the ground, Sun’s tackle threw him to the side. They didn’t hit the ground too hard, but it did make a thudding sound. 

“How did you convince Professor Lionheart? He had to have been suspicious.” Neptune questioned as he nudged Sun with his shoe.

“My aunt helped me. I talked about it with her, and she said she’d help.” Vireo explained as Sun held out a hand to help him to his feet.

“Not gonna lie, your aunt kinda scares me.” 

“What? Awh come on, she’s not  _ that _ scary.” Sun laughed as he jabbed Neptune’s side.

“I don’t know dude; she looks like she could kill someone with one swing.”

“Neptune, if she wanted to kill you, she would have already done it by now.” 

Vireo couldn’t help but roll his eyes. 

“How comforting.”

As Vireo finished packing his dance bag, he began to head out the studio door with Sun and Neptune. While Sun and Neptune continued to bicker about how terrifying Aunt Magpie was, Vireo’s heart still felt like it was going to burst out from his chest. He had managed to stay calm with the meeting with Lionheart and Magpie, but his nerves still made his blood pound in his head. How had he managed to do this? Would his father eventually find out? What would he say? Was the trip really worth being grounded for the rest of his life?

“Relax V. If you and your aunt planned this out right, your dad will never know.” Sun assured as he patted Vireo’s back. 

“Was I thinking too loud again?” Vireo laughed. Both Sun and Neptune nodded. 

Once they turned the hallway corner, all three of them heard a high pitched squeal coming from behind them. Vireo’s silver eyes grew wide as he whirled around to see Olive running from the other side of the hallway. Her bleach blonde hair was tied up in a loose braid and her shoes were half untied. 

“Why weren’t we the first ones to know about the feastival?!” She chirped as she skidded to a halt. Right behind her was Tillian and Lanea, who both had bright smiles on their faces.

“Are serious? Are we seriously going? Please don’t yank my chain V.” Lanea added as she jumped up and down.

“Yes, we’re going, but you have to keep it down. I can’t let my father know about this.” Vireo replied, almost in a whisper. Without warning, all three girls pulled Vireo into a group hug. He felt his lungs constrict a little at the strength of the hug as he hugged them back. Once the hug broke up, the girls began to drag Vireo to the dorms.

“Come on! We need to start packing! The festival is in three days!” Lanea cheered as she lead the team. 

“Vytal Festival, here we come!”

*~*~*~*

“You don’t seem as excited as your teammates.” A soothing voice questioned at the entrance of the red dorm room. When Vireo turned his head towards the entrance, he saw his aunt leaning against the frame of the door.

“I’m just worried about father, that’s all.” Vireo replied as he continued to neatly fold his school uniform and his other shirts. Although he had the smallest luggage, he was the last to finish packing. On the three beds next to him rested three larger suitcases. The stuffed brown suitcase belonged to Olive, the lavender duffle bag belonged to Lanea, and the dark blue suitcase belonged to Tillian.

“Don’t worry about him. I’ve got it covered.” Magpie replied as she walked into the room. 

“What if he finds out?” Vireo started, but Magpie held up a hand to stop him. 

“No, he won’t take you out of Haven, and no, he won’t ground you for the rest of your life. Remember, your mother and I have a say in his actions.” She assured him. “Besides, it’s about time you had fun and traveled outside of Mistral.” 

“Wait, you told mother?” Vireo questioned, his voice slightly breaking.

“No, I haven’t told anyone.” She said as she put a hand on his shoulder. “That’s your story to tell.”

Vireo sighed in relief and placed his clothes into the dark green suitcase. 

“How far do you think you’ll place?” Magpie questioned as she sat down on Vireo’s bed, switching the subject.

“I’m not sure. I hope we at least make it do the doubles round.” 

“I think you’ll go farther than that.” Magpie replied, smiling. She picked up a framed picture of the Nightingale family from his nightstand. “After all, you’re one of Haven’s best teams.”

“That’s just a rumor.” 

“Maybe so, but it’s true.”

Magpie placed the frame back down and pulled out a old, weathered photo. Vireo tried to get a glance at it, but Magpie had it angled so he couldn’t peak. Her usual strong yet comforting gaze had faded into a somber one as she gazed a the photograph.

“I don’t know much about the feastival, but I’ve been told it’s fun.” She said as she put the photo away.

“You never fought in one?” Vireo questioned.

“No.”

“But, you’re a huntress.”

“I became one in a very different way.” She said, slightly sighing. It wasn’t directed towards Vireo however. The sigh sounded more directed to a distant memory. 

The two stayed together in the dorm in comforting silence as Vireo finished packing his belongings. As he packed, he could tell Magpie was slightly worried. She would never admit it out loud, but he could tell by the way she stayed longer than usual. Normally, Magpie would visit with him, then after a while, leave. However, she had stayed with him all afternoon and they even got food together. Sun and Neptune even tagged along, even though Neptune was still wary of her. Magpie had a blast with his fear, and purposefully told fake stories of how she had murdered thousands. Sun caught on to the joke, but Neptune was oblivious. 

To his surprise, Magpie’s company helped him relax. Although he felt at home at the academy, her presence made it better. Then again, she had been around since he was a child. Her mother always told stories about how Magpie was the only one that could calm him and his sisters down, and it worked every time. 

The sun had barely begun to sink into the horizon when Magpie grabbed her hook sword sheath. Before she did, she walked to Vireo and gave him a strong hug.

“Please be careful.”

*~*~*~*

Vireo’s stomach usually stayed calm even in the most stressful situations, but somehow it was twisted into knots as he watched mistral’s land fade into the distance from the Airship windows. All that could be seen was the bright blue ocean gently rocking from it’s waves. As Vireo gazed out the window, he felt his scroll buzz in his pocket. As he took it out, a text message from Passerine flashed on the screen. 

“ _ Good luck V! I’ll be watching the streaming in my room. Go kick butt! _ ” The text read. Vireo smiled as he typed back.

“ _ Thanks sis. You’re the best. _ ” He replied. His attention strayed from his scroll as he heard loud chatter behind him. As he looked up, Lanea and Tillian stood next to him.

“Can you believe it? I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we’re doing this!” Tillian asked as she leaned over the railing to get a better view of the water below them.

“I can. team Violet is gonna win it all!” Olive cheered as she joined them. “The other schools won’t even know what’s coming.” 

“I wouldn’t jinx it if I were you.” Lanea commented. 

“Well, we are the best team in Haven.” 

“ _ One _ of the best. Not  _ the _ best.” Vireo corrected.

“That’s not what I heard from the other teams.” Olive chuckled. 

“Please, as if team VLOT could win, period.” A huskier voice scoffed. Olive turned around sharply and glared at the teen the voice belonged to.

“Get lost.” Olive snapped, her turquoise eyes narrowing. 

“What? It’s true.” The teen snarked. “You’re team is probably as fake as your leader.”

“-And what’s that supposed to mean?” Lanea hissed.

“You’re just the parasite of the Nightingale family, aren’t you?” The young teen yelled at Vireo. “Heard you were taking over the family business. Let me ask you something; How can you run a family company if you don’t even belong to them?”

Vireo’s neutral gaze faltered and he turned to the window to try to hide it. 

“That’s enough!” Lanea ordered as she stepped in between the teen’s path to Vireo. 

“You’re such a coward, Vireo. You don’t even fight your own battles. You’re really gonna let  _ these _ girls protect you like you’re some child?” the teen sneered, and his teammates giggled behind him. The giggling faded as Lanea, Tillian, and Olive stepped aside a little to show Vireo still staring out the window. Something in the air had changed, and the teen’s teammates sensed it immediately. Vireo took in a deep breath, then turned around to face the young hunter. A chill ran down the teen’s spine as he locked eyes with the leader. Vireo’s usual silver eyes were now replaced with dark red color. Sweat began to form at the crown of the teen’s dirty blonde hair.

“‘These girls’ are the best huntresses in Haven, and probably ten times stronger than you.” Vireo calmly stated, but there was a edge to his words. “My advice is you keep your mouth shut, otherwise they’ll permanently shut it for you.”

The teen gulped and nodded, trying to stand his ground.

“Insult me all you want; I don’t care, but the second you bring them into it, it’s game over. For you, at least.” Vireo explained as he walked to the teen, who struggled to not back away. Vireo was at least a head taller than the teen, but it seemed like much more as he towered over the first year. 

“Do I make myself clear?” He questioned, his voice almost gravelly. The teen took in a shaky breath and nodded before leaving the viewing platform with the rest of his teammates. As soon as the first year team was out of sight, Vireo slouched his shoulders and sighed. For once, his proper posture faded, but it came back as soon as Vireo straightened his back and walked to one of the benches. The dark red color that stained his eyes had disappeared, and his usual silver color was back.

As he sat down, he put his face in his hands and sighed again. A headache was beginning to put pressure on his temples and he tried to massage it away, but it wasn’t helping. As he massaged his temples, Tillian sat down next to him.

“I know. I won’t let it get under my skin.” Vireo mumbled. “I can take the usual stuff they say about my pointe shoes and my ‘cowardness’, but…” 

“-but you cave with the family remarks.” Tillian finished. “Me too.” 

“I know I’m adopted; I’ve known since I could remember, but it still stings when people bring it up. My family never brought it up, so I thought it didn’t matter to them if I was, but there’s always that ‘what if’.”

“It doesn’t V. They chose you to be in their family.” 

Vireo nodded, unable to think of anything else to say. Tillian patted her gloved hand on Vireo’s arm and slightly squeezed it. 

“Just talk to them when we get back. I’m sure they’ll be open to talking about it.” She added. 

“ _ Attention Haven students; We will be arriving at Beacon Academy in thirty minutes. _ ” The pilot announced over the intercoms.

_ Here goes nothing  _ Vireo thought to himself.


	5. Welcome to Beacon

The fluttering in Vireo’s heart only continued to grow as he raced to the airship’s window. Once he reached the front of the ship, he couldn’t stop smiling. Standing valiantly in front of him was Beacon Academy. The castle-like school glistened as if it was just polished, and he could tell the campus was buzzing with excitement. Vytal festival flags decorated the school beautifully and balloons with streamers were perfectly placed at every entrance.  His heart began to pound in his ears as the airship landed gently on the landing platform. 

“This is it!” He heard Lanea half giggle, half squeal. Vireo was practically counting the seconds pass as the airship doors slowly swung open to reveal the dazzling school and the headmaster standing in front of them. The silvered haired man grinned brightly as he took a sip from his grey mug. 

“Welcome, students of Haven! We are very excited to have you all here.” The headmaster greeted, his voice strong, but welcoming. “I’m Professor Ozpin, and I will be showing you around Beacon Academy. If you have already visited the school, you are free to leave the group.”

More teams than Vireo had expected began to disperse from their initial crowd. Some snickered as they passed by them, but immediately stopped at Olive and Lanea’s piercing glares. What used to be eight teams how had shrunk to the size of three. After the other teams left, Ozpin greeted the three remaining teams.

“You must be team VLOT.” The headmaster greeted as he walked to them from talking with the previous team. 

“Yes, sir!” Olive chirped as she beamed with excitement. She was the first to shake Ozpin’s hand. “I’m Olive.”

“I’m Tillian.” Tillian greeted as she shook his hand next. “How did you know about us?”

“Professor Lionheart loves to talk about you all. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things from him.” He replied as he went to shake Lanea’s hand. Tillian’s eyebrows raised as she looked to Vireo, who looked back in shock.

“I didn’t think we were talked about.” Lanea added. 

“I know Lionheart doesn’t like to show favoritism, but he is very proud of your team.” Ozpin lightly chuckled as he approached Vireo. “And you must be Vireo.”

“Yes, sir.” Vireo replied, trying to hide his surprise as he shook the headmaster’s hand. 

“I’m very glad you were able to make it. I know you had some family trouble, but I am glad they let you come.”

“Me too.” Vireo replied while suppressing the urge to laugh nervously.

“Well, enough of pleasantries, let's get on with the tour.” Ozpin announced, then slightly turned to Vireo. “I hope you’ll find something interesting during your stay.”

An odd yet curious feeling stuck up on Vireo at Ozpin’s comment, and he couldn’t tell if Ozpin was talking to the group, or to him specifically.

*~*~*~*

“Can you guys believe it?” Olive laughed as she re-tied her armor. “I can’t wait to kick everybody's butt!”

“Is winning the only thing your thinking about?” Lanea sighed as she threw a side glare. “There are other things to do here, you know.”

“I know, but the Vytal festival is mainly for fighting!”

Lanea rolled her eyes as she stood up from her seat on the waiting room couch. As she did, Tillian walked into the room from the bathroom. She was beginning to put on her blue leather gloves when Olive skipped over and took one. Tillian immediately tried to take it back, but Olive backed away.

“Come on Lili, you don’t need these!” She said as she held up the glove, almost jokingly. “We can easily win with your semblance.”

“I’d prefer it if we won fair and square.” Tillian hissed as she glared at Olive. “Now, give it back!”

“What’s the big deal?” Olive chuckled.

“How would you like it if you had an uncontrollable semblance?”

“I think it would be pretty cool.”

“Then you’re an idiot.” Lanea snapped as she took the glove from Olive. “I swear, I can’t believe we are partners.”

“Guys, please stop fighting.” Vireo interrupted as he entered the waiting room. “We shouldn’t be fighting before a match.”

Lanea rolled her eyes and shot Olive another glare. 

“However, I agree with Lanea and Lili. You know her semblance is off limits.” Vireo added as he looked to Olive.

“But-!” Olive tried to reply, but Vireo held up a hand. 

“Please. We can discuss this after the match.” He sighed. 

Olive looked to the floor in defeat, then nodded. She looked to Lanea, who still glared at her. Vireo grabbed his weapon off the wall and tried to hold back a grin as he looked at it.

“Now, let’s go win this match.”

*~*~*~*

“Why are we sitting down now?” Yang whined as Ruby, Weiss, and Blake dragged her to the front row. “JNPR’s match isn’t until later.”

“I know, but it’s still cool to see the other teams.” Ruby chimed as she smiled brightly. “And we get to see more cool weapons!”

Weiss sighed as she rolled her eyes.

“We also get to see our opponents. Who knows, maybe we might go up against the team that wins.” Blake added.

“I sure hope you don’t!” An upbeat voice interrupted. All four girls turned around to see a blonde-haired fanus and his blue-haired friend sitting right behind them. They both had smiles plastered on their faces and a playful gleam in their eyes.

“And why do you say that?” Weiss asked, adding a bit of an edge to her words.

“Let’s just say team CRDL doesn’t stand a chance.” Neptune giggled. “We’d hate to ruin the surprise.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she gave Ruby a questioning glance, and Ruby shrugged back. Curiosity sparked in her silver eyes as she looked from the forest and desert area to the excited members of SSSN.

“You know how amazing team CFVY is?” Sun asked, and all four girls nodded. Ruby couldn’t help but smile at the name.

“Well, this is Haven’s version of team CFVY.” 

Before Ruby could ask any more questions, the crowd began to start clapping and cheering as the digital screens displayed the two teams. However, Sun and Neptune cheered the loudest. 

“Vireo! Vireo!” They chanted as they jumped up from their seats. As the crowds excitement died down slightly, Weiss’s brows furrowed.

“You alright?” Ruby asked, but Weiss didn’t respond. Instead, she itched her head and mumbled ‘I know that name’ a couple of times. 

“Wait!” Weiss screamed at Sun and Neptune. “Are you talking about  _ the _ Vireo Nightingale?”

“Duh! Who else would it be?” Sun laughed. Weiss’s calm complexion fell immediately while her jaw dropped. Ruby laughed as she closed Weiss’s mouth.

“What’s the big deal?” Yang questioned as she tilted her head slightly.

“What do you mean ‘what’s the big deal’? The Nightingales are just as well-known as the Schnee dust company!” Weiss yelped.

“We know they’re a weapon parts company,” Ruby added. “But what’s the deal with him?”

“Well he’s not  _ that _ big of a deal, but he’s sort of an old friend.” Weiss sighed. “We used to be friends when we were younger because of our dads, but I could only visit him if we went to Mistral, and we stopped going once our dads finished building an add-on dust compartment.”

Ruby and Yang looked to each other in confusion, but continued to listen.

“Plus, his mom used to teach me ballet. Did you know she’s one of the best ballet dancers in all of Remnant?” Weiss rambled. “She taught him pointe, which is a huge no in ballet, but she did it anyways!”

“Oookay.” Yang replied. 

“Maybe after the match, you can catch up with him.” Ruby suggested, seeing the excitement glitter in Weiss’s bright blue eyes. The crowd’s cheering started up again as the two doors in the area opened. She glanced at Team CRDL for a short time before looking over to the other team. They walked side by side to each other and kept cool, composed expressions. A short girl with light brown hair stood at the beginning of the line holding two decorated silver rods in one hand. She appeared thinner than most, but Ruby could tell she was built. She had a flowing lavender dress that reached just below her knees, and had cream colored leggings. She also wore a light brown denim jacket.

Next to her stood a taller girl with braided, bleach blonde hair. The blonde haired girl had long brown pants and a dark brown, long sleeved shirt. Over her shirt and pants, she wore multiple pieces of silver armor. Ruby usually thought armor made people look bulkier, but it didn’t make the girl look bigger. On the blonde’s back was a large rifle that had multiple silver bayonets attached to it. Unlike the first girl, this one seemed less serious. She seemed more carefree, even though she was trying to look serious. 

Beside her was a girl around the same height with a long, blue metal rod in hand. She wore a dark blue bomber jacket and a dark orange turtleneck. She also wore dark blue leggings and leather gloves. Her light auburn hair was put in a half up, half down braided hairstyle. Ruby knew she wasn’t the best at reading people, but she could tell the last girl was very guarded by the way her shoulders looked stiff. There was almost a scowl to her expression too.

Ruby almost did a double take when her eyes landed on the only boy in the team. He had combed, raven black hair and fair skin, almost like hers. He wore an olive green button up with a brown vest over it. On the back was the Nightingale symbol in dark grey. He also wore grey slacks and shoes that matched. He stood much taller than the other members of his team. 

Ruby knew she had never seen or heard of Vireo, but she had a small deja-vu feeling stirring in her stomach as she looked at him. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but he felt like she had seen him from somewhere.

_ Maybe I bumped into him when we were getting food. _ She thought to herself. Ruby lost her train of thought at the sound of Professor Port’s booming laughter echo from the speakers.

“Seems like team CRDL will have a rough start to the festival with team VLOT as their opponent.” She heard him chuckle. 

“As I recall, Team VLOT is one of Haven’s shining stars.” She heard Professor Oobleck add. “But we cannot be too hasty! Team CRDL may surprise us.” 

As the countdown on the projected clock started, team VLOT scooted away from one another to make space. The girl with the metal rods pressed a small button on the side and forcefully flicked them downwards. In the blink of an eye, long leather whips extended from the rods and a loud, crackling sound echoed through the air. As the girl did this, the blonde-haired girl twirled her rifle as it transformed into a large metal axe. The girl in dark blue simply got her rod in front of her and moved into a defensive position. Meanwhile, the boy pulled his weapon from its resting place on his back and revealed a Glaive-like weapon. Although it seemed like a Glaive, the staff part of the weapon looked shorter, and it had a small knife on the end of it. 

“ _ Three! _ ” The announcer shouted, and team CRDL moved into attacking positions.

“ _ Two! _ ” 

All three girls of team VLOT looked to Vireo, and he gave a subtle hand signal. The girls nodded and smirked to one another. 

“ _ One! _ ”

Sun and Neptune continued to whistle and shout, and Vireo turned his head their direction and jokingly shook it.

“ _ Begin! _ ”

Team CRDL wasted no time in advancing to the other side. They stampeded to team VLOT like four angry bulls, and used that momentum to give the first big attack. Two of the girls and Vireo dodged the attack, but the blonde haired girl took the hit head on. 

There was a loud screech as the axe collided with one of the pole-arms of team CRDL, and the girl skidded back, seeming unfazed. 

Meanwhile, Cardin was swinging his mace in every direction to hit Vireo, who had gracefully dodged every hit. However, Cardin picked up on the dodges, and as Vireo leaned to his left, Cardin faked his swing and began to redirect it.

A loud “ _ CLANG! _ ” echoed the area as Vireo halted the weapon with his. Cardin laughed as he pushed his mace more on Vireo, but stopped as Vireo began to push too, making Cardin skid back slightly. With a forceful shove, Vireo knocked Cardin back, causing a large gap in between them. Just as Cardin regained his balance, Vireo ran towards him and dug his weapon into the ground a couple of feet in front of him. Cardin tried to swing his weapon, but failed to as Vireo used his weapon as leverage to kick Cardin with both feet. Ruby could see Cardin’s aura crack slightly as he was sent flying into the wall. 

“Knock him out, V!” Sun shouted as he jumped up from his seat.

Meanwhile, another team member of CRDL, Dove, had cornered the girl with the whips, and he was in a fit of laughter. Although Ruby could not hear the fighters in the area, she knew Dove was throwing insults as he cackled. It seemed odd that he had slightly lowered his weapon to mock the girl, but something caught Ruby’s eye. As Dove mocked the girl, Ruby noticed the girl held her hand outwards, as if she was controlling something.

“Things are not always what they seem.” Professor Port commented. “And Ms. Lanea is definitely a master at tricking people.”

“She can make people see her as a weaker opponent, which lowers the attackers defenses.”  Professor Oobleck explained. 

As if on cue, Lanea swung her other arm above her head, caused the whip to swing above her. A loud “ _ CLAP! _ ” rang through the air as Lanea had flicked her arm forward, and her whip snapped Dove square in his chest plate. The CRDL member was launched back, but maintained his bearings. Meanwhile, Lanea had already begun to swing her whips around her, forming an unusual shield in front of her. Dove tried to charge after her, but was quickly disarmed as Lanea’s whip slapped his hand. Dove’s sword didn’t drop very far before he caught it with his other hand and lunged at Lanea. Ruby watched in awe as Lanea twirled out of the way and skillfully maneuvered her whips to throw Dove away from her. Dove may have been stronger, but Lanea clearly knew how to use it against him.

Ruby’s attention strayed away from Lanea as she heard loud laughter from the girl with the axe. The sound metal crashing together filled the arena as Ruby watched the girl’s axe collide with Sky’s Halberd. With every swing of the girl’s axe, Sky took a few steps backwards. He had tried to lunge his weapon at her, but it was stopped by the long handle of the axe, and he was shoved backwards. As he tried to regain his footing, he dodged another swing of her axe, and fell on his back. He barely had time to catch the breath that was knocked out of him as he rolled away from the axe’s destination. The girl’s axe had sunk deep in the ground, and Sky looked from the weapon to the girl in horror. 

In the center of the forest and desert arena, the girl in dark blue twirled her rod quickly to block Russel's attacks. He was fast with his sharp daggers, and the girl was beginning to struggle. Even though her block were effective, Russel’s attacks only grew stronger. With a quick dodge and a roll, the girl got away from him and gained some distance. As Russel charged towards her, she clicked a switch on her rod, and both ends extended to reveal medium length cylinder cages with a long beam in the center. Once the weapon had clicked into place, it hummed to life and electricity sparked out of the cage. Russel’s jaw dropped as he tried to run in a different direction. As he did, the girl twirled her rod and swung in the direction he was running. Electricity surged through Russel as the rod hit his stomach, and he barely stumbled back before collapsing to the ground.

Ruby’s gaze went back to Vireo as she saw Cardin and Sky team up to fight him. The blonde haired girl had teamed up with the Lanea, leaving him to fight the two CRDL members. Vireo swiftly ducked from Cardin and Sky’s swings and lunged his weapon when the CRDL members began to swing in another direction, getting them when they were vulnerable. When Cardin swung again, Vireo began to deflect their hits with his weapon. Sky tried to ambush him from behind, but Vireo easily blocked it. Once Vireo turned around, Cardin swung again, and Ruby could see Vireo’s head turn slightly to see behind him. Vireo ducked immediately, and Cardin’s mace crashed into Sky. Vireo escaped from the two CRDL members and turned to look at his other teammates. The girl with rod quickly ran over to him once she had knocked out Russel, and Ruby saw them start talking. Vireo pointed to their forest area, and the girl nodded. She started to run towards the other two girls as Vireo took a defensive stance since Cardin and Sky were charging at him.

At that very same moment, something clicked in Ruby’s mind, causing her to gasp. Yang and Weiss immediately whipped their heads towards her.

“What is it?” Yang asked, her lilac eyes glancing at Ruby questionably.

“I knew he looked familiar!” Ruby chirped excitingly. “I thought I was gonna go crazy if I didn’t figure it out.”

“What are you talking about?” Weiss questioned, her eyes glancing from Ruby to the arena.

“Doesn’t Vireo look a lot like Uncle Qrow?” Ruby asked. Yang’s eyes widened for a moment as she looked to the arena, then back at Ruby.

“Oh sh-” Yang started, but was cut off by Weiss clearing her throat deliberately. “I mean, oh shoot.”

“You see it too right?!” 

“Yeah! That’s so weird, he does look just like him.”

“Oh please, as if Vireo could ever resemble that mess of an uncle.” Weiss scoffed as she looked down to the area. “There’s no way he could…”

Weiss never finished her sentence, and her jaw dropped again as she continued to watch the fight. 

“Well, maybe just a little.” She sighed. 

Ruby’s attention centered back on the fight as her eye caught Vireo twirling and lunging his weapon at the CRDL members. Meanwhile, the rest of the team had split up, and the girl with the axe raced towards the forest side of the area. As she did, she pulling something from her pocket and put it in both ears. Lanea had taken the far right side of the forest, and the girl with the rod raced to Vireo’s side. All three CRDL members had teamed up against Vireo, and he had held them off exceptionally. However, Ruby could see Vireo holding back, and when the girl with the rod came into the fight, his attacks grew stronger. Cardin was struggling to block them, and with every hit, Ruby could tell Cardin was losing his stamina. 

As the fight continued, the glimpse of the trees in the forest side of the area caught Ruby’s eye. When she turned to see what was going on, her eyes landed on the blonde haired girl. The girl had put her weapon down and looked as if she was pulling on an imaginary rope. The bright green trees had a dark turquoise glow around them as they bent towards the girl. All the branches had bent backwards and slightly sideways to form an isle of sorts. 

“I wouldn’t suggest messing with Ms. Olive if there are plants around.” Professor Port chuckled. “She’s got a knack at manipulating them.”

As Olive was pulling back the branches and trees, The girl with the rod and Vireo had lined the CRDL members up to the direction of the trees. Vireo held his hand up to his mouth, as if he were about to whistle, and the girl with the rod and Lanea stepped back quickly. 

“I would advise everyone to cover their ears as soon as possible.” Professor Oobleck recommended. “Vireo’s semblance is not kind on the ears.”

Team CRDL had paused in confusion as they saw the girls step far away from them.

Weiss covered her ears, and Yang and Ruby followed suit.

Ruby watched as Vireo took in a deep breath, and the rest of team CRDL gasped. A piercing sonic whistle echoed the arena and the ground began to vibrate slightly. Ruby heard muffled groaning from the crowd as she squeezed her hands over her ears. The sound rang in her head and she felt the beginnings of a headache. 

As she focused back on the arena, she saw team CRDL cover their ears as they were blasted backwards. Vireo continued to whistle, and pushed team CRDL all the way to the forest side of the arena. As they flew back, Ruby heard Olive yell as she pulled the branches as far as she could before letting them go.

There was a loud “ _ SNAP! _ ” as the branches collided with team CRDL, and they were sent soaring across the arena. They crashed into the shield of the arena, and everyone could see their auras flicker out. All three of them barely managed to dampen their fall, and they watched their aura meter above them zero out.

The crowd broke into a deafening roar at the sight of the aura meters. Sun and Neptune jumped from their seats and screamed at the top of their lungs, pumping their fists in the air. They began to chant Vireo’s name again, and they were able to catch his attention. Vireo waved back at them and smiled brightly. 

“That. Was. Awesome!” Ruby exclaimed as she stood up and clapped. 

“On second thought, maybe we shouldn’t go head to head with them right away.” Yang laughed as she turned to Blake, who was wide-eyed, but still clapping for the team. 

“Yeah, Let’s hope we don’t get them for the doubles round.” Blake replied, laughing nervously. 

“Come on! We have to go meet them now!” Ruby shrieked as she grabbed Weiss’s arm. “Besides, Weiss needs to catch up with Vireo.”

“Maybe we can catch them at the exits?” Blake suggested.

“Let’s go before they leave!”

“Are you sure we should catch them right after a match?" 

“I’m sure they won’t mind it.” Weiss chimed in. 

“Alright then, lets go!” Ruby ordered as she dragged her team out of their seats and towards the stadium’s exit.

  
  



End file.
